Our View: Use FOIA to become a government watchdog

Tuesday

Nov 5, 2013 at 4:57 PMNov 5, 2013 at 4:57 PM

It seems the more elected officials talk about transparency, the less open and transparent they tend to be. Transparency should be routine with government matters, but we all know that’s hardly the case.

How do you get information from an entity that is less than eager to share? The Freedom of Information Act protects our rights to know how public business is conducted.

FOIA is a tool the general public can wield to get access to information about government. How to use that tool is the subject of a workshop next week at the News Tower.

About 70 percent of FOIA requests in Illinois are made by private citizens. Government officials make up about 18 percent of requests. If it’s that difficult for government officials to get information from the bodies they serve, how much more difficult is it for the rest of us? News folks like us make up about 12 percent of FOIA requests.

Local governments are where the action is. The entities you pay taxes to have information you have a right to. It’s your money being spent, and you deserve to know whether it’s being spent wisely.

Knowing how to file a FOIA request and what to do if you’re stonewalled by a government bureaucrat, which is likely, are some of the things you will learn at the workshop, which is being presented by the Better Government Association.

The two-hour workshop will begin with an hour-and-a-half presentation and end with a 30-minute question-and-answer session.

Government bodies frequently offer excuses as to why they can’t provide the information requested. Next week’s workshop will help you learn how to write your request so that you have the best chance of getting the information you deserve.

Government entities do not easily comply with FOIA requests. They prefer to thumb their noses at requests for information. Although the law says they need to provide the information in a timely manner, officials try to use all sorts of exemptions to delay the process. The hope they can wear you out, that eventually you’ll lose interest. Workshop presenters will offer advice on what to do when officials fail to meet their deadlines.

The BGA offers other clinics to help you deal with your local government. Check the association’s website for events that may interest you.

We encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. See the box that accompanies this editorial for details. The workshops, which the BGA tries to schedule every six weeks, have been well-attended. An Oct. 21 session in Orland Park drew almost 100 people. Stephanie Simon, social media and civic engagement coordinator for the BGA, said there was a waiting list to attend the event.

The workshop here has room for about 60 participants.

Access to government information is the key to maintaining an open and vibrant democracy. You can help promote democracy by becoming a government watchdog. Learn how next week.